Threads of Fate
by flower on thewind
Summary: The crystal has a bigger destiny awaiting them both. Blue and Red threads of fate... they are forever entwined by Destiny. A ff13 and ffv13 crossover.
1. Entwined

**Disclaimer**: I obviously do not own Final Fantasy 13 or Final Fantasy 13 versus in any way... it's not even out yet!

**Warnings**: I'm sure there are tons of errors... I tried my best to catch them all, but... I can't say that editing is my forte... Also, since this fic will probably encounter some characters that aren't named yet (e.g. Shotgun guy and Glasses guy) I'll be using temporary names until their official names are released... I apologize for any corny names. I will list the appropriated names at the bottom of this fic, since... it doesn't look pretty up here! Anyhoo, enjoy!

Oh yeah, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **Yuki**! Happy Birthday!

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

Entwined

The cackling fire and the soft singing from various night critters did little to ease the anxiety building within Lightning. The ominous shadow of Cocoon eclipsed the light of the moon, signifying the dangers lurking in the shadows; lurking all around them…

They say that Pulse has a strange effect on people. Lightning wondered if it was because of the sheer amount of _life_ that overwhelmed the senses. Everything about Pulse was "living" – wild, unadulterated, **alive**. It was so unlike Cocoon, where everything was orderly, systematic, and utterly **dead**. _'Dead like the people living on its metallic surface'_ she mused with a hint of bitterness. The light of the moon gave Cocoon a menacing glow… her frown deepens.

Perhaps… when one experiences Pulse for the first time, they metaphorically "wake up" and see what it really means to be alive – to experience life wildly and freely...

However, to live wild and free also meant to live dangerously. All around them, there was no logic, no order, and no predictability to these creatures. It was frightening and liberating at the same time, and it made Lightning feel more anxious with every second…

It was liberating because, spiritually, the energy of this world was intoxicating. The air was humid, and thick with wild fragrances that she never thought was possible to experience all at once. The world was literally pulsating with life – filling her with it; surrounding her with it; it was all around. It was times like these, when she was the only one awake, that she could focus on these feelings… it was a comforting break from her usual worrying.

What worrying?

There was much to worry about… so much that it frightened her. She cast a glance at her companions. Good. They were still there. They were safe.

She was reassured.

In this world, every shadow in every crevasse could be another monster out to destroy them. This planet did not welcome them with open arms; of course not. They were the ones who were sent to destroy the very protector of this planet... The Pulse Fal'cie.

Lightning grimaced and placed her hand just above her breast. A red glow answered her – reaffirming the curse that was placed upon this ragtag group. It was a burden that she never wanted. It put her and her companions in constant danger, and she hated it.

It wasn't as though she feared for her life… growing up in Cocoon's military service taught her to deal with such fear and over come it. Rather, she feared for her companions' lives… and she feared for them so much that it made her tremble at times.

Somehow in their journey together… this mismatched group became more then just companions…

**They had become her family.**

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as Sazh gave an enormous snore that could wake up an army. Fortunately, the rest of the party did not wake from the loud noise – they were too exhausted from the constant traveling. To Lightning's amusement, others responded in their own unique way to Sazh's disruption: Snow loudly snorted in response and rolled onto his side; Vanille whined in her sleep and threw an arm over her head – as if to protect herself from any other annoying sounds; and finally, the small boy with white hair hadn't moved in the slightest – he only continued to drool all over the arm he slept on. Lightning almost snorted fondly at this. This kid could sleep like the dead, but come daylight, he was as yappy as a dog – an annoying one at that.

Unable to help herself, she moved over to run a hand through the kid's white hair. Yes, Lightning had become quite fond of her new family. In some different time and place, she wouldn't have minded if this kid had been her younger brother… God, he acted like one anyways – always trying too hard to give his input in adult matters… always trying to act cool when he was just a scared kid inside…

Lightning's heart suddenly felt heavy with this strange emotion … this emotion that wanted to protect… and it wasn't an emotion that was reserved for this boy only.

**She wanted to protect them all.**

She wanted to protect Sazh's concern and loyalty. He's known her the longest, and she owed it to him to reunite him with his family. Sazh had the sentimentalities of a father that she had never known… and for that, she would protect him.

She wanted to protect Vanille's innocent smile and perkiness. If Lightning had a younger sister, she would've wanted Vanille to fill that role. Vanille who was both innocent and mature beyond her years; Vanille who always tried her hardest to smile even when their doomed fate pressed harder upon them… for this, Lightning was thankful, and would protect her with her own life.

And then there was Snow. Lightning wanted to protect him most of all for his pure heart… a pure heart which sometimes made her ashamed of her own. His heart that understood the essence of right and wrong; of what a true hero should do… It made her want to become that hero in a way… his heart was infectious. Lightning knew deep within her own heart that she couldn't let his pure heartedness be tainted by the shadows casted by Cocoon, nor could she let his heart be ravaged by the wild beasts of Pulse. He was the heart of this family, and that couldn't die – no matter what.

She needed to protect these things that she's come to love.

She needed it…

Wanted it…

Depended on it…

And because of this, it **scared** her…

It made her weak.

This curse – or gift as the Fal'cie called it – this burden that was implemented by the Fal'cie, Serah, to "protect this world." But which world do we protect: Cocoon or Pulse?

Lightning returned to her brooding as she stared hard into the dying camp fire. So far in their journey, they've decided that their focus (or destiny if you want to call it that) was to destroy the Pulse Fal'cie. It seemed straightforward enough… and yet Lightning couldn't help but feel that it wasn't so simple. There was something about this planet that did not seem entirely evil… and the longer she stayed on this planet, the more ominous Cocoon seemed in they sky.

Her eyes darted from the campfire to the shadows in the forest… something else bothered her: if the whole planet was out to get them… why would it allow moments of peace such as this?

Nothing baffled Lightning more than the contradicting thoughts that circled her mind. And nothing felt scarier then the aching knowledge that her party was to die eventually, if not from completing the focus… then it would be from the crystal shards that were slowly sucking their life force dry.

No.

A wry smile graced her lips. She would save all of them before then. This was something she decided that day, standing in the cold wasteland. It was the day she had given up hope. It was also the day that Snow showed her what hope truly was.

She remembered it like yesterday… a lesson that played in her mind like a movie reel on repeat…

* * *

"We'll be fine." He said arrogantly, "I can handle anything they throw at us. I won't let anyone die. I'll protect this world… and Serah too!"

Something about those words… the way he said them… it pissed her off! How could he say them so confidently – so honestly – after they just failed the hundreds of people that were on the train? After they had failed the weaker ones who relied on them the most… She remembered looking at the destruction that their failure had spawned; she wondered if Snow was even human enough to understand the weight of what they've done? She remembered turning to face him, and the world going blurry from her rage…

The next thing she knew, she was in front of him, and the only thing on her mind and in her heart was rage. With one swift blow, Snow was knocked to the floor… but it didn't end there.

"Like you did before?" She challenged vehemently. She hoped that he would have stayed down – in his place, where they all belonged… and yet he didn't. Defiantly, he picked himself up and challenged _**her**_. And he didn't even blink.

"I'll set things straight!" He announced with certainty.

How dare he!? Couldn't he see the devastation around them? It was their fault – their responsibility, and yet…

Lightning punched him again. It was more of a reaction then anything… her heart… her soul… her guilt… all of it felt bare to the world now. And yet, Snow still didn't understand.

"What more can you do!?" She demanded, wanting an answer for herself more then anything. _'We should just stop now, before we cause more problems – more deaths. It's all our fault!_' her mind screamed.

"Whatever it takes!" he answered without even blinking. He stared back at her, trying to convey everything that he was trying to say when words failed him… and then she saw it.

She saw the guilt in his eyes… the pain of knowing that this destruction that affected hundreds of innocent others was being reflected back at her. The world became small and blurry as she understood – as **they** understood together – the enormity of what they had done. And yet…

'_Even so...he still believes that we could do something…'_

The enormity of that tangent nearly brought tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

'_We can still fix this…'_

At that moment, Lightning finally understood the true meaning of hope when all was lost…

* * *

"Lightning?" a sleepy voice mumbled to her right. Her quick eyes found where it came from: a sleepy-eyed Vanille who sluggishly pushed herself into a sitting position. Unconsciously, Lightning schooled her wild emotions back under a stoic mask.

"You should sleep a little longer. It's only been two hours."

Vanille shook her head, "nuh uh.." She tried to rub the sleepy haze out of her eyes as she said this. "You should rest too, Lightning… you've been fighting really hard lately…"

"I'm fine," was Lightning's automatic response.

"Oh, shush!" Vanille mustered a tired yet cheery smile. "If you don't rest, then how are you going to keep protecting us if you're not in tip-top shape, hmm? That's what you're worried about, right?"

Lightning couldn't say anything to that. She silently wondered how much Vanille was observing behind that cheerful mask…. And an even more frightening thought was: how much was Vanille hiding behind that mask?

"I'm fine, Vanille. I can still-"

"Nuh uh! I told you to rest, Lightning! You have dark circles under your eyes – it's not attractive at all!" Vanille gave a cute pout, but her eyes were hard and serious. "Besides, I won't ever be able to get back to sleep with Sazh and Snow snoring like that…"

Lightning sighed. She knew when she was defeated.

"Fine, but wake me up in two hours… that should be enough." Lightning muttered before reclining onto her side. This earned a muffled giggle from Vanille.

"Nope! Sazh get's the next shift… that way we'll all be able to get some sleep!"

Lightning almost smiled – almost. As she lay there on her side, all those anxious feelings of uncertainty and worry came back. What if something were to happen in her sleep? What if she didn't wake fast enough or react in time? Vanille would be all alone, is that okay? What if…

_Wait._

_Stop._

_Calm down._

Lightning exhaled slowly and tried to center herself in the mist of all her irrational emotions. It was particularly bad tonight… she wondered if it was because of the increased life energy that filled the air…. She frowned.

That energy that filled the air – the one that made her giddy on one level and anxious on another – was particularly heavy tonight… and it didn't help that tonight **those** things were in the air again.

Strange shimmering balls of lights that left trails of sparkling tails in the air… they floated all around them – even through them… Lightning had no clue what these lights meant… and she was quite suspicious of them…

One thing she did notice was that these lights were exceptionally prominent in areas where that life energy felt the heaviest in the air…

Another thing she noticed was that… it seemed no one else saw these floating spheres…

Lightning frowned once more as sleep eluded her while those lights danced around like fireflies in the night…

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Raindrops pelted against the window. The air was damp and cold, making the old, marbled architecture feel like an icebox. Noctis placed a hand on the cool glass and trailed a particular raindrop that was racing downwards. It reminded him of the lights that he saw every day. Round spheres with trailing tails… like luminescent comets swirling everywhere – as if it was the most natural thing in the world…

Beyond the window lay a sleeping city. The roads were strangely quiet except for the odd one or two vehicles that went by. The more modern-looking buildings across the street had a few office lights on – probably for those late-night workers trying to make their deadlines… Despite the chill, Noctis felt his heart swell overlooking this city – this was his home; his to protect…

Noctis heard a small knock before the office door creak open. He was not alarmed.

"Your Highness, will that be all for the night?" A man with light brown hair and glasses stood before him. His grey business suit was as formal as his posture, and yet despite his appearances, Noctis knew that this man did not have an arrogant bone in his body.

"That would be all, Horatio." Noctis said in his normally quite voice. He was unfortunate to be born with a naturally introverted personality when his public position called him to act with more flair. In those public appearances, Noctis had to switch acts – sometimes having to use a louder yet deeper voice. These acts were still not natural to him and often made him feel uncomfortable…Sometimes, he wondered if his life was just that: an act where he has many different parts to play…

"Are you sure? There is nowhere you need me to drive you to or any last minute documents you want me to find?" Horatio asked once more. Though his posture had yet to move, the slight raise of an eyebrow and small quirk to his lips told Noctis that this man was teasing him.

Noctis sighed, letting go of his own inhibitions and formalities. "I'm not that bad…"

"Oh, yes you are." There was a hint of a smile. "Do not underestimate me. My family has been working for your family for generations now – I know you better then you know yourself."

"If that is true, then perhaps you'd wish to trade places, hmm? You would be a most _charming_ prince, I must say!" Noctis teased. This caused the older man to stop for a second.

"I-I apologize," was the quick amendment, "I spoke out of-"

"We're past that, remember?" Noctis grinned boyishly, causing Horatio to shake his head.

"Besides, Horatio… I really wouldn't mind if we switched places tomorrow… hmm… We'll need to dye your hair, and get you some contacts… I'll lend you one of those hideous suits and-"

Horatio sighed and put a hand to the bridge of his nose. "How old are you, Noctis?"

"Old enough to plan my epic escape."

Horatio frowned. "I'm much too tall to impersonate you, and we look nothing alike – ugh, I can't believe I'm seriously having this conversation with you." He muttered dryly.

"Huh? But we're not being serious at all!" Noctis chuckled. There weren't enough moments in a day where he could just be Noctis and not Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum of the Caelum Kingdom…

"Oh?" Horatio grinned knowingly. Noctis saw this, and scowled at being read so easily.

"W-well…You know I hate these formal events… it's so – those people are so false and-"

"You're afraid to meet the Fleuret princess." Horatio couldn't keep the mirth from his voice.

Noctis momentarily hated his friend for knowing him so well. Noctis' eyes couldn't meet Horatio's – a tell-tale sign that occurred only when Noctis felt uncomfortable, or was lying through his teeth. He bit his cheek and decided that the best action was to say nothing at all.

Horatio almost laughed, but knew better. "Ah yes… It makes sense… she is, after all… a member of the female sex…" Noctis' ears turned red and he became rather fidgety.

"Y-you know I have problems with women…" Noctis grumbled.

"Only the delicate, beautiful ones… Innocent by all means until you crush their dreams with that cold shoulder of yours…" Horatio quipped.

"Stop that! I-I can't help it! I never know what to say… or how to say it properly!" Noctis' face was beet red now… Horatio almost felt sorry enough to change the topic… almost…

"Ah yes, I clearly remember how you left that lady from the Rubrum Kingdom crying horribly from your… inadequate behaviour. She was trying to confess to you, and yet all you could discuss was the weather."

"C-can we stop talking about this?"

"Unfortunately not. This is a serious situation, your Highness.

"Horatio…" Noctis whined.

"Ah… so pitiful…" Horatio scoffed. Noctis seemed to have shrunk sometime during their light banter. It made Horatio mentally sigh. His Prince was still so young…

"Well then, I suppose it would please you to hear that the Princess has been delayed and will be arriving a few days from now." Horatio mentioned with feigned disinterest.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes. So rest easy tonight, Prince Noctis. Good night." Horatio said before bowing and seeing himself out of the room.

Alone again, Noctis allowed himself a sigh of relief. Princess Stella's arrival was one of many things that worried Noctis at the moment… Most prominent was the brewing war between the neighboring countries of Milites and the Alliance countries. His father has been busy negotiating the neutrality of their kingdom especially since the Caelum Crystal was rumored to being the last known crystal in the world. That trail of thought brought Noctis to another worry of his…

Recently, known crystals have been shattering by some unknown catalyst. As the crystal protector, Noctis was deeply worried about his own crystal – a crystal that most people believed to be a myth. The Caelum family had guarded this crystal so well that its very existence was debated upon… However now, in desperate times, people were more ready to believe that this small kingdom held the last weapon of the Ancient Era….

Furthermore, since the rising tensions and the downfall of Akademia (where the most famous crystal resided), Noctis couldn't help but notice the increased number of lights floating all around… They swirled around everywhere in the palace. Noctis didn't understand, and he didn't try to: this "gift," given to him by the Goddess herself, was not something that he wanted. It was like curse, really… The power of death…

"_Absolute power will corrupt absolutely."_

The lights swirled closer towards him as if they were responding to his negative emotions. The uneasiness in his stomach did not seem to go away_. 'Perhaps I should check tonight… just in case,'_ he thought. Nodding to himself, he finally left the office room and made for a journey through the palace. His feet took him down grand staircases and corridors that were older than his family name.

The lights seemed to follow him wherever he went. One particular sphere caught his eye. This sphere was always floating one step in front of him, and was with him since the office… Curiously, Noctis stopped walking. The sphere also stopped moving forward. Instead, the sphere circled around him, as urge him onward. This mystified Noctis since no other sphere ever tried to communicate with him before. They were just… there.

Frowning, Noctis slipped into an obscure corridor – one that was hardly ever used. With practiced ease, he pressed a hidden latch behind a tapestry and a secret door slid open. His frown deepens as he saw the sphere float purposefully through the secret door. It hesitated when Noctis didn't follow.

"Strange…" he muttered to himself before following his "guide."

They moved down more stairs and through a Labyrinth that Noctis knew by heart. Finally, they arrived at a stone alter to which a large crystal rested in the center: The Caelum Shrine. Noctis watched the sphere with a wary eye. He was slightly alarmed at the fact that the Crystal was reacting to the orb's presence.

"Did I lead the enemy straight here?" Noctis wondered out loud. He stared intensely at the sphere…

* * *

Lightning frowned as a bothersome sphere persisted to hover near her face. She glared at the beautiful swirling lights that were in front of her; waiting for her to do something. Lightning pursed her lips. Usually she would ignore these odd phenomenons, yet this one was different... Glancing at Vanille, who was busying herself with adding wood to the camp fire, Lightning tentatively raised a hand…

She didn't notice her crystal reacting strangely...

A red thread of light...

And suddenly...

* * *

The sphere stayed in place. It did not do anything else other then that. Noctis was puzzled beyond belief. This had never happened before… and so it compelled him to do something that he's never done before. To reach out and acknowledge these lights... would that mean he was accepting Etro's "gift?" Was this okay? Noctis wasn't sure... typically he would've left this sphere alone... and yet... it called to him in a way... Tentatively, he raised his hand and reached out…

He didn't notice the blue emblem that suddenly materialized behind him...

A blue thread of light...

And suddenly...

* * *

_A burst of light…_

_Blue and Red threads of fate…_

_Forever entwined by Destiny._

Lightning panted while clutching her glowing red crystal.

Noctis fell to his knee with a hand to his head. His eyes were rapidly becoming a crimson hue.

The Crystal sprang to life; its glow pulsing like a heartbeat…

A new story has begun…

* * *

**Author's note:** Yep... This is what happens when I procrastinate my studying... I'm actually... a little frightened right now... I haven't planned this fic out at all! It sort of... just happened... I wonder where it'll take us haha! Forgive me, if you read this after the game comes out, and everything that's in this fic is total, utter crap... haha, it's only to keep us sane until the game DOES come out, I swear! Okay so as promised, I'll outline the names so that things will be a bit easier for everyone...

**Shotgun guy:** I think I'll name him **Alec**... just because... I'm not sure if someone else named him this already - I've read so many fics that they all seem jumbled in my brain! If so, tell me! I'll credit you! I promise!

**Glasses dude:** As you've already read... I named him **Horatio**... kind of a nod to Hamlet I guess... haha don't hate me! I'm not that creative!

**Scar-eyed guy:** Oh man... I'm pretty sure someone named him this already... but yeah, I'm calling him **Marcellus**. Again, if you see this name, and you've used it before I did, tell me!!!

**White-haired kid: **My good forum buddy and her awesome creative mind has come up with the name **Gin**! Thanks **Ena**! I owe you! hahaha, I miiiight do something weird and call him **Shiro **once in awhile... I like that name too... yes I'm strange - but there is logic somewhere in this madness! I swear!

I haven't decided the names on the evil glasses lady or the blue-haired general yet... they're probably not going to show up this early on anyways... if ever... haha...


	2. I Dreamed a Dream

**Disclaimer**: I do not own ff13 or ff13 versus. Square Enix does!

**Warnings**: Same as before... This fic is definitely going to be AU relative to the real game (when it comes out)... enjoy!

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

I Dreamed a Dream

A hand touched her shoulder.

"Lightning, what's wrong!?" Vanille asked frightened. Lightning shot up from the touch and instinctively recoiled away. Her red crystal still throbbed painfully and she struggled to calm her breathing.

"It's nothing," was her sharp, automatic reply. Vanille frowned and pointedly raised an eyebrow. Lightning sighed, knowing that she owed a more plausible answer then that. "My crystal began reacting – I don't know why. It… woke me up." Lightning lied through her teeth before she even realized it.

"Hmm," Vanille pondered while rubbing her chin, "did you have a bad dream? I wonder if the crystal was reacting to your emotions…"

"Maybe," was all Lightning said before reclining back down and rolling pointedly away from Vanille; she didn't want to talk about it anymore. _'What was that? Usually those lights should pass through objects – why did this one react like that?'_ she wondered. Wanting to ponder more on the subject, but refraining because she didn't want to worry Vanille; Lightning determined that silence was the best course of action.

"End of discussion, huh?" Vanille mused out loud. Lightning decided to closer her eyes and ignore her. "Aw, Lightning…" Vanille whined. "You know I was just worried! Can't you be a bit nicer about it? Sheesh! What if something's really wrong and, like, your crystal turned into a ticking time bomb! We wouldn't know until you tell us! Or what if–"

"Vanille?" Vanille blinked. Lightning's voice sounded really soft and tired.

"Um…yeah?"

"…Goodnight" was the sleepy mumble. Vanille sat still for a moment. Slowly a wry smile painted the redhead's lips. _'What can you do? That's Lightning for you- she's always like this!'_ she mused in her mind.

"Okie dokie! G'night!" Vanille chirped.

The fire cackled merrily into the night...

* * *

Morning came eventually. The morning air was fresh and cool – perfect for waking up and feeling rejuvenated.

"Yawn, I slept like a log!" Snow announced loudly.

"You sure as hell didn't sound like one," grumbled Sazh as he rubbed a hand over the stubble on his cheeks. _'I need to shave,_' he noted.

"Look who's talking!" teased Vanille. "Sazh, you snore loud enough to scare all the monsters away! Hehehe, it's a monster repellant!"

"Monster repellant? Aw, come on! It's not that bad!"

"Ugh, why are you people always so loud in the mornings?" a raspy voice mumbled.

Vanille grinned. "Wakey, wakey, Ginny!" The white-haired boy scowled.

"Argh! My name is **Gin**! Never. Ever. Call me 'Ginny' – that's a girl's name!" An arm plopped casually around his shoulder. Gin turned to the enormous giant beside him. "What?" he demanded irritably.

Snow just chuckled. "How disappointing! A true hero would rise with the sun! We need to work on that, boy!" Gin scowled even more.

"For the last time, my name is GIN!"

Snow barked out a hearty laugh. "A hero also doesn't get this irritated about trivial things"

"Che. Who made you an expert?"

"I did, of course! I'm a hero, after all."

"I'm one too, right Mr. Snow?"

"Yeah, that's right Vanille. We're all heroes that are gunna save the world!"

"Tch, so uncool" mumbled Gin under his breath. He felt the arm around his shoulder curl and enclose around his neck.

"Hey, who are you calling uncool?" warned Snow.

"Uh, guys?" Sazh cut in. "Is it really okay for us to making this much noise? We're probably not the only ones getting up, y'know." His shifty eyes scanned the area. "Who knows what creatures are close by…"

Snow and Gin stared at him with blank expressions.

"Scaredycat," they both said at the same time.

"Wuh-hey!"

Vanille smiled happily. It was always like this in the morning. She let out a girlish giggle when Snow gave Gin his morning noogie and Sazh went to sulk with Hina-chan. Her emerald eyes drifted towards Lightning who was off to the side sharpening her gunblade. On the surface, it seemed that Lightning was always distant from the group – as if there was a wall between them. However, Vanille knew that wasn't true. Had the boys stopped being boys for one second, they might have noticed the small, content smile that graced Lightning's lips – enough proof for Vanille to believe that Lightning truly did care for them.

As if on cue, Vanille cleared her throat, and the boys sobered up. Their eyes seem to automatically search for Lightning's form; it was almost instinctive. The stage was hers now – she had the audience's full attention without even asking for it.

Gracefully, Lightning stood up from her crouched position. The sun peaked behind the mountain top, and rose with her – basking her with an ethereal light. It illuminated her fine locks of strawberry blonde hair, and accentuated her sharp ice blue eyes. Her newly sharpened blade gleamed as she re-sheathed it with her usual flair. In that moment, Lightning was surreal: She looked like a true hero – one that always looked forward and never doubted.

"Time to go."

The party couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as a new day began.

* * *

"Idiot!" Noctis reprimanded himself. He knew that he shouldn't have given into temptation: he had intruded on grounds that were not to be touched by humans. The icy feeling of magic ran through his veins. Noctis willed himself to ignore it.

'Calm down…' He told his racing pulse. "Calm down…" The control he had over the powers granted to him by the crystal was barely there – it was as if they had been charged with excess energy. Was this the power of Etro? Noctis gave a shuddering breath – was this the power he could attain if he accepted her light?

Slowly, the intensity of his crimson eyes faded to a dull amber hue and then finally back to his natural cobalt blue colour. When he finally tamed the surging power within him, Noctis proceeded to scan his surroundings. The crystal continued to glow its usual radiance. Other then that, there was only the cold stone of the architecture – the floating sphere of light had vanished. Noctis frowned.

"Where did it go? Nothing's… here." he stared suspiciously at the crystal. "Earlier… just what was that?" Only silence answered him. Noctis sighed as he knew no answers would find him tonight. He turned on his heels and made his way through the quiet labyrinth and to his sleeping city…

_That night, Noctis dreamt._

He stood in an endless field of wildflowers. The sky above was a brilliant sea-blue colour and the rolling clouds were highlighted by the sun's rays – causing a brilliant display of light and shadows. It was so calm and beautiful – so unrealistically real – that Noctis understood right away: he was dreaming.

"…Interesting…" he mumbled. Realizing that nothing would happen if he did not move, Noctis decided to explore the seemingly endless field.

Time and space seemed to have its own rules in this realm. Noctis was sure that he had walked for hours – yet the sun had not moved an inch. The only thing that kept him sane from the solitude was the gentle breeze that made the flowers whisper. Perhaps it was his imagination, but it almost felt as if the wind was guiding him somewhere.

"Where are you taking me?" he pondered out loud. The wind only blew harder in response. He continued onwards. The wind blew even harder causing the clouds to move above him, casting shadows in their wake. Something was changing…

Then he saw it. It was a sphere of light – almost exactly like the lights he saw every day… and yet this one was tinged a reddish hue. He stopped in his tracks and readied himself in case something should happen.

The sphere of light floated a little ways beyond him until it circled to a stop. A gust of wind blew between them, moving the clouds just enough so that a ray of light fell upon the red sphere. It burst upon contact with the sun's rays – its form dissolving and floating away like dust. In its place, a figure materialized.

It was a woman.

Her body was turned at an angle from Noctis, but he was still able to see the profile of her face. She stood, regal in front of him with her red cape flowing violently behind her. Tousled strawberry-blonde hair followed her cape, while her sharp-blue eyes scanned the distance. A hand lay upon her sheathed weapon – ready at a moment's noticed. In that same moment, Noctis forgot how to breathe.

'_A queen?' _he wondered. _'Or perhaps a knight?'_ She had the air of both.

They stood like this: he in the shadows; she in the light.

Another gust of wind blew

The moment was broken.

She turned, finally noticing his presence. He tensed, preparing himself just in case. Their eyes met, and then…

* * *

"Lightning?" Vanille's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Slowly the image of a mysterious man with dark blue eyes faded from her memory. Last night she had a strange dream about an endless field of flowers… there, she saw a blue sphere. She had tried to follow it, but she lost it for a moment… in that moment, that man had appeared to her…. Lightning frowned. A hand waved in front of her.

Vanille giggled. " Wow, you're off on another planet" she teased.

"…Huh?." Lightning blinked returning back to reality. "Sorry, were you saying?"

"Boy, you're _really_ out of it," teased Gin in that boyish voice of his. "You look really confused." Lightning gave him a warning glare.

"I hope you don't become an old crone anytime soon~" he said smugly. Lightning felt a vein throb on her temple.

"I really don't see why I have to look after annoying kids."

"You have to, because that's what responsible adults do."

"Brat…" she muttered.

"Old hag."

Lightning snorted. This time she didn't even dignify that with a response. She turned to Vanille. "You were asking something."

"Uuuuuh… Oh yeah! Um, Gin and I were wondering what's for lunch!" Lightning rolled her eyes. It was that time already? Just how long was she daydreaming?

Suddenly, Snow popped out of the bushes beside them holding something rather large in each of his hands…

"Look at what I found! Eggs!" He grinned triumphantly. "Let's fry these up and have a feast!" Both Vanille and Gin cheered with glee. _'Eggs?'_ Lightning could only stare at him, slack jawed.

"You idiot."

"What? I found us food."

"You idiot."

"I only took two!"

"You **idiot**!"

Before she could say anything else, Sazh came running through the group, hollering.

"**I told you not to touch those!**" He shouted hoarsely. Behind him, trees were toppling over. An angry roar from a triceratops-looking creature shook their surroundings. There was a moment's hesitation where the whole group looked to each other for instructions.

"Scatter and make room!" Lightning ordered and everyone moved in frenzy. The 'shling' of her blade unsheathed was drowned out by the approaching monster. She saw it charging her, swinging its horned head wildly.

"I got your back!" shouted Sazh before he shot a few rounds. Lightning barely acknowledge him. She already snapped her fingers and leaped high above the monster. She twisted midair before landing on the monster's back and began hacking its neck. The monster roared in pain and tried to shake Lightning off.

"Move!" Gin shouted before he and Vanille unleashed a powerful firaga spell together. Lightning leapt out off the creature in a nick of time before the spell made contact. While still in air, she switched her weapon into gun mode and shot some rounds. The monster belted an angry roar and angrily stomped and shook at everything it was close to.

"Kyaaah!" Vanille screamed as the monster snapped a tree. The tree was going to crush her!

"Shit!" Lightning swore. She leaped to get to Vanille, but her gravitation device had already powered down. She needed to wait awhile before she could use it again. This meant one thing: she wasn't going to make it...

_**Panic**_

"Look out!" cried Gin as he jumped out of nowhere to push her out of harms way. He held onto Vanille for dear life as the tree thundered downward. Not pausing for a second, Lightning landed beside the two and prepared to protect them with her life.

Snow moved to her side with clenched fists. "I got this, get those two outta here!" Lightning didn't argue. She grabbed the two younger fighters and half dragged, half carried them to a safer distance. Snow picked up the fallen tree like it was nothing, and started swinging it recklessly.

"Take this, you ugly freak of nature!" he swung the tree like a baseball bat. The monster staggered and fell over on its side, dazed.

"Yeeeaah!" Sazh cheered. His celebration was short-lived. The monster twitched once, twice… oh god, it was attempting to get up. "Oh…damnit." cursed Sazh. He reloaded his ammo in record time and fired again. Snow gritted his teeth and kept batting the monster with his crude weapon. In the distance he heard Vanille's voice shout something. He felt magic surround him, filling him with more energy. Next he saw a flash of pink hair dart around in the danger zone. Lightning was back in action.

Lightning ran her blade under the creature's body, leaving a bloody gash in her wake. Warm blood splatted onto her hair and face. The monster hollered in pain.

"Final blow!" Snow warned. Lightning sped from under the creature and situated herself at a safer distance. Snow gave one last mighty heave with the tree, cracking the monster's horn and snapping the tree in half. The monster once again fell to the ground. It snorted, trying to regain its bearings. "This thing isn't dying!" cried Sazh.

"It's not over yet!" Lightning grunted as her nimble body flipped over the fallen monster until she was faced to face with it. "Die." She took her blade and ran it into its skull. The horned monster struggled – moving its legs and shaking its body until it gave its last shudder and fell limp.

There was a moment of anxious anticipation – was the monster dead or alive? Lightning experimentally wiggled out her blade from the body. It made a squelching sound when she finally did pull her blade free. Blood gushed out of the opening – already attracting the insects from the surrounding area. Lightning grimaced at the stink. The party waited… the beast did not stir. A collective sigh of relief could be heard.

"So, uh… Dinosaur meat anyone?" Sazh asked.

And with that, the group dynamics fell into place once more. Snow ran to eggs that he hastily dropped. He gave a whoop. "They're not broken! We can have eggs too!"

"You and your stupid eggs almost got us killed!" growled Lightning.

"But we're fine – and now we have meat too!" protested Snow.

"He has a point." Sazh added. The sour expression on Lightning's face only got worse. She "lightly" smacked Sazh on the back of his head, which caused Hina-chan to flutter out from her disturbed home.

"Ow!" complained Sazh.

"Kewh, Kweh!" Hina chirped indignantly. Lightning opened her mouth to let them all have it.

Snow couldn't help but feel screwed…

While Lightning lectured Snow, Vanille turned to Gin. "Um… uh…thanks for saving me back there" she said softly. Genuine gratitude shone in her emerald eyes. Gin blushed and felt tongue-tied.

"I-it was n-nothing."

Vanille raised an eyebrow and pouted. "Huh? Are you saying my life means nothing?"

"Wha? N-no! That's not what I meant! Y-you're nothing- I MEAN – I didn't mean **not nothing**! I… Y-you mean a lot!" Vanille's eyes sparkled with something – something seemingly more mature then her usual demeanor... Not that Gin noticed, he was too busy having a mental freak out.

"Oooh… you mean a lot to me too!" she chirped, slipping back her usual cheery mask. They both erupted in a nervous giggle.

"Hey, you kids, stop conspiring and help me find some firewood! We're gonna need a lot to roast that lump of meat!" Sazh joyfully announced over Lightning and Snow's yelling.

Despite the unusual night before, it seemed like today was just another day after all. In the far distance, the dragons sang their songs of old, and the sun continued to shine brightly in the blue sky…

* * *

The noon sun barely shone any light behind the rain clouds. Despite this, the city was bustling with life once more. Noctis found his mind drifting from the conversation in favour of thinking about the strange dream he had last night…

'_She had a rather strange weapon…'_ he thought, remembering the woman from the dream. A car honk from outside his window startled him out of his thoughts, and reminded him of the person talking in front of him. Feeling guilty, Noctis wondered if he had been caught daydreaming. The man in front of him seemed immersed in his little speech – for that, Noctis allowed himself a small sigh.

"…and so, the information that you've, uh, requested may –um – may t-take some more time to recover." The middle aged man finally said after wasting five minutes trying to gloss over his inadequacy. "I assure you, Prince Noctis that I will deliver it to you as soon as I can."

"…I see." replied Noctis, his voice was deep with authority – yet still held some softness to it. "Unfortunately, I cannot allow you much leniency this time around, Superintendent Romano. These times call for higher security measures _within_ the city, as well as its boarders. Please have the information on the suspects on my desk by tonight. That is all the time I can allow you."

"I will have it by then, your highness." The superintendent responded evenly; however, Noctis couldn't help but notice the sweat stains seeping through the uniform. "Good day."

With that, the older man left the office. As soon as the door closed, Noctis was finally able to relax for a little while. Security measures were up since the war situations have turned for the worse. Evidence of Milites' armies advancing towards the Anaze and Rubrum countries has been reported recently. Those countries, though far away, felt too close to home. A knock on his door startled him from those depressing thoughts. He rubbed his tired face and schooled it back into business mode.

"Come in."

Horatio popped his head through the door. Noctis resisted the urge to relax right away – finally, a friend in sight! Horatio stiffly walked in and closed the door behind him. 'As proper as ever,' Noctis mentally snickered. Sometimes he didn't know if he should feel jealous of his friend's natural gift for proper mannerism, or sorry for it.

"It is noon, your highness. Would you prefer lunch in your office or will you have it out today?" Noctis didn't even miss a beat.

"Out" he said almost desperately. Horatio failed to keep the amusement from his eyes.

"Long day, sir?"

"You have no idea." Noctis muttered darkly as he loosened his suffocating tie. "Let's go, I can't stand this office any more." He stood up, eager to leave.

"You know… you could have retired to your room and avoided those meetings…it's not like it's unheard of…" suggested Horatio…

Noctis grinned boyishly. "Now that would be running away – besides, they'll find me there too." He made a disgusted noise and grumbled, "There's no escape. My house is my prison." Horatio sighed, putting on a show of condescending displeasure when he really felt sorry for the young man.

"Very well, then… don't forget to fix your tie"

"Forget it, I'm off duty."

"Off…duty?" Horatio repeated as if it was the strangest phrase he had ever heard of.

With that, the two men escaped the office (aka prison) and headed on their way down to the palace entranceway. Old men wearing similar black business suits hurriedly rushed to the side and bowed with respect as Noctis passed them. This always made Noctis feel uncomfortable, however he was just as bad when playing his own part. He passed by these men without an appreciative glance or acknowledgement – his only intent was to get through this area as fast as he could. Finally, Noctis and Horatio made a calculative detour through a lesser known hallway. Thankfully it was empty… but not for long…

Loud footsteps running towards them from behind… Noctis tensed, wondering if it was something urgent.

"Is that m'boy, Noctis?" a rough, yet jolly voice boomed through the hallway. Horatio stiffened at the crass address to his prince. Noctis stopped in his tracks and a slow grin stretched his lips. He spun on his heels to face a huge, long haired man with a scar running across his eye. The man's religious chain caught the hall light and sparkled merrily.

"Marcellus!"

"Huh? It is! I wasn't sure if that was really you, looking all professional and such. Whatever happened to the young snot-nose kid who practically begged me to train him?" Marcellus teased while striding down the hallway towards them. He pointedly ignored the distasteful look that Horatio shot him.

"Knight Grunwald, addressing the prince as-"

"Stuffy as ever, huh, Horatio?" grinned Marcellus as he rudely cut him off. Horatio's green eyes glared warningly, while Marcellus grinned wider, accepting the challenge.

"Fighting… isn't necessary, you guys..." Noctis said awkwardly.

"We are not fighting, your highness-" Horatio began.

"We just have our differences, you see." Marcellus finished. Noctis just blinked in confusion. Did they just finish each other's sentences?

"Well, in that case... Marcellus, would you like to join us for lunch?" Noctis asked. He really wanted to catch up with his old weapons teacher.

"No can do, kid." Marcellus said with a hint of disappointment. "War-measures, you know? I have to pick another snot-nosed squire from the lot and train him just like I did with you…. Though, I probably won't ever have another kid as easy to teach as you, Noct-y! You're a natural." Marcellus winked for good measure. Noctis grinned boyishly.

"You were still in your late teens when you taught me – you hardly had anything _worth_ teaching!" teased Noctis.

"Quiet down, won't you? I don't want people wondering how old I am – I still look pretty good, you know?" Marcellus hissed and nervously looked around.

"But you're the same age as Horatio…"

"No way." Horatio and Marcellus said at the same time.

"He's older" they both said while pointing to each other. Noctis tried very hard to keep a straight face. It was only with these two – his most trusted friends – that he could finally feel like himself. Even with the loud bickering, Noctis could honestly say that this was where he felt most relaxed.

"I see." Noctis couldn't help but let his lip twitch upward as the two older men glared openly at each other. "Well then…" he said in his usual voice. Unfortunately, neither of the glaring men heard him. Frowning, Noctis politely coughed, and that caught Horatio's attention.

"I-I apologize, Noctis." Horatio amended. "Shall we continue onward?" Noctis nodded and turned to Marcellus.

"Oh, it ain't farewell yet! I'm heading that way too, I'll walk with you." Marcellus announced much to Noctis' pleasure and Horatio's displeasure.

* * *

The trio finally made it to the entrance hall before another incident distracted them from their destination.

"You good for nothing, punk!" wheezed a voice trembling with anger.

"Ow, stop poking me with that cane of yours, old man!" a much younger voice argued.

Noctis' party isolated the argument near the giant doors ahead of them. A bald old man was indeed smacking the bejeezus out of a young blond haired boy. A broken pot, dirt, and the remains of a house plant decorated the floor. Beside the plant lay an antique shotgun. Curious, Noctis decided to interrupt the argument and save the boy from any more bruises.

"Hello, Cid." Noctis courteously addressed the old man. "Is there a problem here?" Cid was the palace gardener who's been working at the palace forever. He was practically an urban legend, and Noctis knew him well enough to fear and respect him.

Coughing on a bit of spit from his outburst, the old man glared at the young men around him. "Problem? Yeah, I have a problem! This worthless grandson of mine can't do shit! What do they teach you in the country nowadays? Coming here as useless as a Chocobo with no feet – I'll make a gardener out of you yet, you-"

"You must be deaf! I **told** you, gramps! I never agreed to be a gardener! I came to the city to become a **solider**!" protested the blonde, "But noooo, the minute I got here, you've got me carrying dirt all over the place! It's a mistake, I tell ya! A mistake!"

"Che, annoying brat. Gardeners are what my family produces! What a disgrace!" The old man snorted and resumed his mumbling and grumbling while stalking off to find something to clean the mess. They boy turned to the group with a sheepish smile.

"Ahaha, aw man! Sorry, I'm a real big screw up aren't I? But hey, it's my first day here!"

By the looks of it, Noctis guessed that the boy was either his age or younger… he couldn't exactly tell with the dirt smudges on the boy's face. Frowning, Noctis wasn't so sure how to act around people his age. He spent most of his life around people who were older then him, so situations like these felt incredibly awkward to him.

"Bit of the boy blunder, huh?" teased Marcellus. "Don't worry; your limbs will catch up with your head in no time."

The boy huffed, "Boy? I'm almost 20! I'm practically a man!" This caused Marcellus to give a hoot of laughter. Noctis felt even more uneasy.

"Oh, that's a good one! I think I like you." Marcellus said while wiping a stray tear from his eyes. "What's your name kid? You think you've got what it takes to be a soldier?" Noctis curiously inclined his head towards Marcellus. There was a darker tone that edged into the older man's voice. "Cuz, you know kid. War ain't a pretty sight. It's pretty damn ugly, to be honest."

The boy's grey-blue eyes were sharp with anger. "Quit calling me 'kid'. The name's Alec and I'll be the best god damn soldier this army's ever seen! Just you wait scarface! I'll show you." Noctis wondered if Marcellus treaded on some sensitive topics… he glanced at the older man beside him who was strangely passive after being insulted.

"Tch, I see you have a pretty old looking shotgun there. Do you really think the Caelum family would allow their soldiers to use such disgraceful weapons? You're even more naïve then I thought! Maybe gardening really is your forte." Marcellus folded his bulky arms and waited to see what this kid was made of. Alec turned a few shades red and practically trembled with rage. He grabbed his shotgun and flourished it in the air.

"The royal family can shove their fancy guns up their ass for all I care! I'm only here because I have people that I want to protect – and I'll use my own weapons to do so, thank you." Alec rested the weapon on his shoulder and glared at Marcellus – challenging him. Both Noctis and Horatio stiffened, while Marcellus looked unfazed. Obviously Alec had no clue who he was talking to.

"You _do_ know that the Caelum army uses swords as their primary weapon, right? It's an old tradition that goes back to the crystal, and-"

"So what? No crystal's going to tell me what to do!" Alec announced hotheadedly. "I'm in charge of my destiny, not some old rock." Marcellus finally grinned.

"Haha! I knew it. My gut instincts told me that I'd like you, and I do! You're perfect."

"Huh?" Alec gaped and couldn't follow the sudden change of atmosphere. Marcellus offered his hand.

"The name's Marcellus. Others might call me Knight Grunwald, but you just ignore it, okay?"

"Uh…what?" Alec said intelligently.

"Can you already use that shotgun? How about a sword?" gushed Marcellus.

"Y-yeah I'm a pretty good shot. Good at hunting things too… I don't really want to learn how to use a sword… my knife's good enough-" Alec answered, though he was clearly confused still.

"Good," Marcellus grinned darkly. "Because I _never_ want to teach anyone how to use a sword ever again." A chill went through the group as he said this.

"What are you doing?" Horatio asked harshly – he couldn't stay quiet any longer. Marcellus gave the spectacled man a cheesy smile.

"Choosing my squire, of course!"

"This is highly unorthodox!" Horatio began.

"It's fine! He's perfect! Just what the army needs to-" Noctis sighed as the two older men heatedly argued with each other… again. Tuning the noise out, he focused his attention on Alec, who was still blinking owlishly.

"Woah… what? How did… this happen?" Alec wondered out loud.

"It seems like you don't have to be a gardener after all" Noctis mused out loud. Alec snorted.

"Dude man, did it look like I was going to be one anyways? I hate plants!" Alec made a disgusted face. Noctis let a small chuckle slip by which Alec smirked in response. "Say, you look like you're my age! Wanna hit the bars and pick up some chicks? I've never picked up a city girl before… Are they as hot as they say they are?"

Pick up… chicks?

Noctis was flustered – how does one respond to this? He tried his best to hide his blush and act cool, but Alec saw through it. "Aw, you're blushing! Don't tell me you're still a noob!"

"Well…" Noctis mumbled. "I…"

Alec laughed good naturedly, "Yo man, don't stress out over it. This settles it, we're going to party together! Oh yeah, I didn't tell you my name. I'm Alec, what's yours?" He slung a friendly arm on Noctis' shoulder.

"…Noctis."

"Woah man, You gotta speak out louder! All I heard was Knock-something! That's not your name is it? I hope not! Don't get me started on knock-knock jokes, okay? Even _I_ know they sound lame…"

"Get your filthy hand off him." Horatio huffed as he knocked Alec's arm away. From the looks of it, Horatio lost his patience with the scared man. "Your Highness, I suggest we leave before we waste your lunch hour to these ingrates." Happy to find an escape route, Noctis just nodded and allowed himself to be led away.

"W-woah wait? H-h-highness?" Alec stuttered, aghast. "No way… I just…"

"Yep, kid. That's Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. You just insulted the royal prince."

* * *

**Author's Note**: What is this monster that I've created? *feels guilty*I apologize for the length of this chapter... I will try very hard to keep my chapters shorter. A few notes about this chapter... (not in any specific order)

1) first half of the chapter was a struggle. Major Writer's block... haha I think that people will definitely notice now that I mentioned it.

2) I was really stuck on the characterization of the versus characters! I'm almost certain that I've interpreted them wrong! I also had to consciously double check my writing because my yaoi tendencies were starting to show... can you see it? It's so easy to write them in that way!

3) The Horatio and Marcellus rivalry was not planned at _all_. The fic started to write itself at that point... I wonder what their true character dynamics are... I wonder how much I massacred it with my interpretation? Oh god, what have I done?

4) Noctis' character is really complicated to write! Nomura said that he's shy, hiding under a cool front... and according to nomura quote:"he is not the least bit a silent, gloomy little boy." Maybe I just suck as a writer but... That's tough to capture! I apologize if I failed miserably.

5) Dream sequence was inspired by the films of Hayao Miyazaki and the ff8 trailer. Miyazaki films are so beautiful and I think that the ff8 trailer is cinematically one of the best for games.

6) Noctis fiddling with his tie is actually a small reference to SunflowerWielder's fic, _Fire Escape_ - I suggest reading it.

7) Title is homage to my favourite broadway musical: Les Miserable! Can you hear the people sing?

8)I better stop going overboard with the footnotes. It was a fun write after getting over the initial writer's block... I wonder how I'll get over my next one...

Thank you **Yuki**, **Sunflower**, **Fefisgbf13**, **Secretgal**, and **Tsuki Rae **for reviewing! And the rest of you, don't be afraid to review! I love connecting with people over fandoms - it's fun!


	3. Mirrors

**Disclaimer**: I do not own ff13, though it would be cool if i did...

**Warnings**: AU, written before the games even came out. This chapter is not edited! Sorry, I was too sleepy to edit it very well... I only did a quick run through. Anyways, don't let that scare you off... enjoy!

* * *

**Threads of Fate**

Chapter 3: Mirrors

Wind blew all around him, ravaging petals from the flowers. They swirled, and fluttered until they were taken away into the distance.

_Distance…_

In the distance, angry storm clouds casted black shadows. The shadows were all around him; circling, encroaching… waiting to strike. He was in the eye of the storm.

_**A lightning bolt struck**_.

_A flash of light…_

It blinded him, burning his eyes with a light so bright it hurt. He took a step back and felt something solid behind him. Blinking, he turned his head slightly only to see a shock of red material and strawberry blonde hair…

Lightning found herself back in that strange dream-world. Unlike before, the world was in utter discord. A small pressure alerted her of a presence behind her, but it did not alarm her. In a sense, she almost expected it. She turned her head slightly, and saw the turf of wild dark hair and the shoulder of a black trench coat. It was him again…

Noctis felt rather then saw his companion mirror his movements…

_They were mirrors of each other._

Thunder shook the field around them, and another gust of wind brought more petals into the air; swirling and chaotic… but even so… his environment did not affect the inner calm and peace he felt at this moment. After all, this was only a dream.

* * *

Noctis slowly awoke from his nap in the car. Buildings flew by as Horatio sped back to the palace. He gazed out his window, yet his mind strayed from the scenery. Another dream… of that field and that woman… why?

"Is something wrong, your Highness?" Horatio asked as he glanced at the back view mirror.

"No." He answered quickly as he was startled from his thoughts. "…why do you ask?"

"You seem… pensive…"

Noctis frowned. There was a lot he wanted to say to his closest friend; however, there were some secrets that Noctis couldn't say even if he wanted to. Still, Noctis was only human and he wanted to connect to someone about his recent troubles. "Have…" Noctis began hesitantly, "have you ever… had a dream… a dream so real that you're not entirely sure that you are dreaming?"

Horatio almost rolled his eyes if it weren't for the fact that Noctis was being serious. "Are you talking about a nightmare?"

"No… not really." Noctis said lamely. Horatio waited patiently for Noctis to elaborate and frowned when he realized that Noctis would not say another word.

"…well… what do you mean then?"

Noctis momentarily broke into a wry grin. "I actually don't know anymore... Forget it, it's stupid."

Horatio shrugged, "sometimes when we dream, we can get so immersed in it that we forget the details and logic that define reality."

"Maybe so…" agreed Noctis though this statement bothered him slightly. It was the very details that seemed so real in his dream.

He remembered the roaring of the wind in his ears and the biting cold on his face.

He remembered the smell of wildflowers and rain; he felt the humidity in the air – so thick it was almost tangible.

He remembered the softness of the worn red cloth pressed against his elbow and how pink hair ticked at his nape.

The reassuring feeling of touching something solid… when he shouldn't have felt anything at all…

This thought perplexed the prince even more.

* * *

Lightning was jolted awake by the sound of gunshots and inhuman screams of agony. A hand lay on her forehead and the soothing feeling of white magic calmed and rejuvenated her battered body.

"Thank goodness," she heard Vanille's voice sigh in relief. "Those sleeping spores really scared me for a second. Only Sazh and I didn't get hit by them."

Lightning groaned and tried to sit up. Her muscles felt too relax to be of help. "Sleeping spores? Ugh… What about Snow and Gin?" She croaked sleepily.

"Gin's awake now. He's helping Sazh fight the flying insect monster, but Snow…" Vanille frowned. "Snow's too close to the monster and I can't get to him safely…I'm sorry."

Lightning shook her head and forced her lethargic body to get up. "No, you did well. Sazh and Gin are perfect for flying-type monsters. Snow would have been useless and in the way."

"Lightning!" Vanille gasped. "That's so **mean**!"

Chuckling, Lightning retrieved her gunblade with her usual flair.

"It's the truth." With that she darted back into action.

Giggling, Vanille yelled out loud "Lightning's back you guys! And she's going to **kick monster-butt**!"

"About time!" yelled Sazh over the gunshots.

"You old ladies need to pick better nap times" teased Gin as he whipped his boomerang at the insect.

"Shut it, kid." Lightning switched her weapon into gun-mode and shot a few well aimed rounds at the insect's torso before snapping her anti-gravity device alive. A digital glow illuminated her body before she soared into the air.

"Oooh, Lightning, be careful!" shouted Vanille, "Try not to get hit by the spores again!" She grinned and cheered as Lightning met the monster head on – looking every bit like a hero...

"What are you doing, girl?" Sazh reprimanded Vanille. "Go help Snow!"

"Oops. I'm on it!" Vanille blushed in embarrassment. Gin snickered openly.

Lightning didn't hear any of that. She was too busy using her gunblade to hack at the gigantic wing. The insect grew wary of her and began evading to the best of its ability. Unfortunately for it, the wing was already damaged enough to make flying quite difficult. Lightning was also facing problems of her own. She was reaching the maximum time limit for her gravity device. Annoyed, she switched her blade back into a gun and shot some more bullets as she descended safely to the ground.

"Don't worry, we got it!" Gin announced before casting a bolt spell at the wing. Simultaneously, Sazh threw a grenade aimed at the same spot: it was a perfect combo. The damage was enough to bring the insect to the ground. Lightning's hand flew to her crystal – now was the perfect time for a final blow!

However…

"Sorry for the wait, you guys! This hero is back in action!" Snow announce, jumping right in the fray – and in everyone's way. Lightning let her hand fall back to her side and made an annoyed sound.

"You're making things worse!" yelled Gin angrily. He powered down the magic he was about to cast.

"Che, that's what you think kid. Watch this." Snow casted a powerful Blizzaga spell at the insect – effectively freezing it to death. It fell to the ground and shattered into a million frozen pieces.

"Show off," muttered Gin under his breath.

"Whoo hoo! You did it, Snow! Good job!" Vanille cheered.

"Yeah, good on you, man." Sazh congratulated. Rubbing his stubble, he thoughtfully added, "hmm, but next time… if you're going to cast something you should stay back and do it."

"Aw come on and give me a break!" Snow whined. "I just saved the day!"

"Yeah, give him a break." Vanille defended. "I gave him a protect spell too – just in case y'know? It would've been a waste if he stood back."

"But he was in the way! Everyone else had to stop for him to act all '_cool'_ and _annoying_." argued Gin.

"Look, kid. I got the job done, didn't I?" Snow snapped. He was getting serious now.

"He-hey now. Let's just calm down, okay? There's no need to get angry here…" Sazh said, trying to mediate between the hotheaded personalities.

"But-"

"We need to go." Lightning cut in. The group stopped to see what she was talking about.

Lightning was gazing off into the distance where angry storm clouds were quietly approaching; storm clouds that reminded her of a field of flowers, and a man with dark hair and deep blue eyes… Her eyes furrowed in contemplation. She had dreamt about him again…but why? What did it all mean? Lightning scowled in annoyance. So many questions and never any answers…

"A storm's coming." She announced. "Let's hurry."

With that, the argument was forgotten and replaced by the need to survive and be safe while they still could. After all, life was too short to be wasted on small squabbles.

* * *

Noctis sighed as he read the memo yet again. It seems that Princess Stella of Tenebrae was able to arrive on time, after all; however, her brother will not accompany her due to business complications. Noctis idled with the idea of slamming his head onto his keyboard… _'yes'_ he decided, '_that does sound like a good idea…'_ He slumped in his chair and buried his head in his hands. He tried his hardest to calm the adrenaline racing through his blood and to retrain his brain to think rationally. This was Noctis when he was mentally unprepared for a political meeting…

Just then his office doors flew wide open; there was no warning of any sort. Noctis immediately corrected his posture and stared incredulous at the mysterious intruder.

"Noct-y boy!" Marcellus greeted loudly. Noctis literally deflated in relief.

"Marcellus... please knock next time…"

Marcellus blinked owlishly. "Huh? Why? You're not doing anything bad in here… are you?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"N-no!"

"Oh?" Marcellus didn't believe him for a second. He kicked the fancy carved doors closed with a bang. "It's okay; you can tell your ole teacher." He gave a complimentary conspiracy wink to that statement.

"I wasn't doing anything!" hissed Noctis. Now that the doors were closed, he didn't mind baring his fangs every now and then.

"Then what was that down-in-the-dumps posture I saw when I walked in, huh?" the jolly man queried.

"Sharp as ever, huh." Noctis muttered darkly. Marcellus only smiled in triumph. "Fine, then. If you must know, I was reading about the formal meeting scheduled for tonight."

"Ah, the Tenebrae princess, right?"

Noctis raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

Marcellus snorted. "Knights and squires are required to attend the reception – formalities y'know? It's a lot of work and a waste of time just for a princess to walk by."

"I could say the same for a lot of these people in the hallways…"muttered Noctis darkly, "they make such a big deal when I walk by…"

"Now, now, Noct. You don't want to come off as an ungrateful prince."

Noctis sighed. "What do you want, Marcellus?"

"What? Who, me? What makes you think I want something?"

"You barged in here for a reason."

"Touché, lil' Nocty… touché. Aah, I miss the old Noctis who was just a kid – you didn't even hit puberty yet! Ah those were the days… remember how you used to beg me to train you in weaponry? Me, a simple country knight! Ohohoho…"

"Simple? Psh, you and I both know how famous you were around that time." Noctis added dryly. "Now I wish that I had never asked… your ego is so inflated now and beyond repair… anyways, business. Talk or leave."

"Everything's business with you nowadays," Marcellus grimaced. "Ha, I guess it can't be helped," Marcellus' easygoing manner suddenly disappeared and a dark seriousness replaced it. "Tell me, then: why the hell is a Tenebrae royal setting foot in the Caelum Kingdom?"

Noctis frowned. "I understand that your relationship with your home country is on bad terms-"

"Birth country, yes; home country, never again." Marcellus corrected. "Caelum is my home now, please understand that."

"I'm sorry," Noctis quickly amended, "birth country. As you already know, my father is negotiating our country's neutral stance in the upcoming war. Tenebrae is the closest great kingdom to our country, and I believe the meeting is to discuss the finer details if ever the Milites country turns their forces our way…" Noctis trailed off as he thought a bit. "I believe that it is completely a protectionist move on our part."

"Tenebrae will want to join the war. Any dealings with them will get this country involved." Marcellus warned. "Mark my words, Tenebrae is trouble."

Noctis nodded. "The relationship between Caelum and Tenebrare has always been…interesting to say the least…" Through out history, there have always been aspects of discord and harmony between the two kingdoms calling for a very complex relationship. To trust or not to trust the other was always the question in times of change. Add in the economic symbiosis, cultural differences, and religious similarities… political exchange will always be a delicate matter between the two.

Marcellus made a disgusted sound. "Interesting… that's one way to put it. Don't let their pretty talks fool you; their controlling ways are bat-shit crazy."

"Controlling?" Noctis repeated surprised. "Yes, officially their country is a monarch-ruling system; but honestly, it's more like a constitutional monarchy then anything… Much like our own actually…"

Marcellus shook his head. "No, you don't get it… the two countries are more like opposite sides of the same coin. Everything may seem similar, but there are some fundamental differences that you don't see."

Noctis frowned and wondered if Marcellus saw how biased he was being…

"Marcellus…" Noctis wavered in his resolve, "…what… happened to you in Tenebrae?"

A shadow seemed to pass across Marcellus' face. When the moment passed, Marcellus was back to his old cheery self again.

"Ha! Wouldn't you like to know? I think your ears are still too young for this story, sorry kid." He scratched his beard almost bashfully. "Sorry, Noct-y. I guess I needed to rant to someone about this entire annoying ruckus! Poor Alec, first day in training and he already needs to learn how to march perfectly! Ah want a bad start… I don't envy that kid at all."

"…" Anyone could see the poor façade that Marcellus strung together. Noctis didn't know if he should call it out or not… sometimes it was better to let a person keep his dignity living behind a mask… other times it was better to rip it off and let the infection leak out…

"So now you know why I ain't liking tonight. What about you prince-y? Rumor has it that you're quite the ladies man…"

Noctis felt the threatening blush rise up onto his cheeks. "Oh no, those are just rumors… very incorrect rumors at that…"

Marcellus let out a hearty laugh. "Oh gods, what did those stuffy old scholars do to you? You had such a potential to be a lady killer!"

Noctis allowed himself to scowl openly. "Oh, shut up."

"You know, Alec can probably give you some pointers… he already got the numbers of the two maids I've been hitting on for months! The kid's a natural!"

Noctis felt himself breaking into cold sweat. Was he really that bad? Damnit, it wasn't his fault that he never got to properly hang out with kids his age during those important teenage years… cursed education. Now he was stuck as an immature kid trapped in the body of a young adult. There will always be that awkwardness around people his age – especially… **Oh no**…

"…You okay kid? You're really pale all of a sudden… damn man I was just joking! Don't have a heart attack on me now; I don't know what to do in that kind of situation…" Marcellus rambled.

"I-It's nothing…" Stammered Noctis as he tried to get over his mini panic attack.

"Gods be damn! What's got you so spooked?" Marcellus asked, genuinely worried.

Noctis wasn't sure if he should answer. "I-it's nothing… I just realized something…"

"Oh come now, this is ridiculous behaviour for a prince! Maybe Horatio is on to something about proper acting and stuff – don't tell him I said that, by the way. Come on, speak your troubles, and Uncle Marcellus will help out as best as he can!"

Noctis went completely still for a moment. Finally, his honest heart opened up and the words flew out. "…I… just remembered some rumors about Princess Stella from the media." admitted Noctis.

"Yes, and?"

"…She's _only_ the most charming and beautiful on this planet." Noctis said in a voice barely above a whisper. His face turned into a tomato.

"Oh. I see." Marcellus blinked. "And?"

"…That's it."

"That's it?"

Noctis nodded.

A minute passed by as Noctis waited for Marcellus to stop rolling on the carpet in laughter. It was a very painful minute for Noctis because he was so tempted to skewer said person with a few dozen swords.

"Ohohohohohoho! I can't breathe-Ican't-" Marcellus coughed, wheezed, and laughed all at once. Finally, Noctis had enough. Suit be damned! He was going to kick ass – which was what he did and sent Marcellus flying across the room.

"This is serious, Marcellus!" He hissed. "I'm going to look like such a fool compared to her – argh I hate political meetings. All those eyes watching your every move, the media tabloids…"

"Oh you poor, poor man…" Marcellus chuckled. "I knew they called you a heartbreaker with the ladies…but out of _disappointment_ – I can't say that I saw that one coming!"

Noctis graced Marcellus with a royal smack to the head.

"In case you haven't noticed, dear friend. I am having a mild freak out."

"Is this what you always do behind your closed office doors?"

Noctis gave the man on the floor a withering look. "Yes Marcellus. This is what I always do behind closed doors," he said with his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Damn…This is all Horatio's fault, you know? That uptight bastard…"

Noctis sighed and nursed the beginnings of a headache.

* * *

Cold, damp air threatened the small flickering fire. Rain fell like a monsoon storm – it would have been crazy to walk through that. Crazy… or unfortunate.

"Wow, it's really coming down." Sazh muttered out loud. He shook his wet hair, trying to relieve some of the excess water. Hina fluttered out and landed in his lap, shivering. "Oops, sorry little lady." He chuckled and sheltered her in his large hands. "I guess you're cold too." Hina chirped in response and buried herself deeper into his warm hands.

"Think we should explore deeper into the cave?" Snow asked while glancing into the dark abyss. "Just in case something's living here, y'know?"

"Woah, you actually sounded smart for once." Gin said. He and Vanille were huddled together near the dying fire.

"Hey kid, don't start" warned Snow. Gin grinned back cheekily and said nothing.

"Is something wrong, Snow?" Vanille asked. She too glanced deeper into the cave.

"Iunno, something about this place gives me the creeps."

"Yeah… same here." Sazh agreed. "But I don't know if we should go exploring. We don't even know if this cave is stable or not. We should stick near the entrance."

"Good point." Lightning agreed while scanning the walls. There was something about this cave that felt really suspicious to her. Even though the damp cold walls seemed nothing out of the ordinary, it had that same thrumming energy that the forest had the night before – like it was alive some how. To make things worse, those lights were here too… floating and illuminating things to Lightning and yet were invisible to others.

"I'll go." Gin volunteered and gave a cool shrug with his shoulders.

An unnamed expression flickered across Snow's face before he protested. "Sorry kid, but not today. Let the adults handle this, 'kay?"

"Quit calling me a kid!" Gin snapped in annoyance. "We're all in the same boat here, so don't treat me like I can't handle it. I never asked for your protection."

"No, but your mother did." Snow retorted.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Gin muttered bitterly. A flash of unconcealed guilt showed through Snow's ever confident façade. Gin refused to look at Snow and clenched his jaw in frustration – frustration not only directed at Snow; but rather, the whole situation and events that led the group to where they are now.

Snow searched desperately for appropriate words, but none came to mind. "I didn't mean-" He ran an angry hand through his blonde hair and sighed. This was a rather complicated situation, and Snow never took complicated very well. He had always found ways of simplifying problems; finding root causes. But this… there was no easy fix or simple solution for emotional hurt – humans were far too complicated for that.

Gin wasn't oblivious to Snow's dilemma, but conflicting emotions and thoughts made him hesitant from reaching out. It was always like this between them: Snow would act brotherly and protective to compensate for the guilt he felt while Gin pushed him away. It isn't to say that Gin was ignorant to Snow's attempts at repentance; rather, it was more like Gin wasn't sure how to forgive when he couldn't forget his own anger, grief, and despair. He did, however, appreciate Snow's attempts and tried to reciprocate as best as his pride would let him. Thus was their complex relationship…

"I'm just…saying that I want to go exploring with you guys... that's all." Gin reiterated after a long awkward moment of silence. Snow grumbled something inaudible and made a show of being disgruntled, but the twinge of relief was heartily felt.

"We don't have to go anywhere." Lightning stated. Everyone looked to her. "I agree with Sazh, this cave might not be as stable as we think it is." She looked up at the stalactite on the cave ceiling in the distance. "It seems like there are more of those deeper into the cave."

"Yeah, I would hate to have one those sticking out of my head." Sazh reasoned. Hina chirped in agreement. "It's better to stay here where there are less of those things above our heads – imagine fighting a monster while dodging those falling things!"

Various nods and agreements were shared by the party.

"Then it's decided, we stay here for the night." Lightning announced.

There was a noticeable release of tension in the group. Sazh took Hina to the side for some well deserved rest. His limbs weren't as young as the rest of the group, so the journey took a harder toll on him compared to the others. Vanille somehow talked Snow into telling her another story about the adventures of Team Nora and their encounters with PSICOM. Gin tried not to look interested, but soon he was attentively listening to Snow's tall tale. Lightning snorted every once in awhile at Snow's account and would point out how ridiculous his story was. Gin and Vanille would then catch on to all of the lies Snow told, but it honestly didn't matter to them – the storytelling was fun and the moments were precious.

And every once in awhile, Lightning's eye would glance towards the deep abyss of the cave. It throbbed and hummed – beckoning her to come…

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Hmm, yeah this chapter's a little awkward because I decided to split the original chapter into small chapters - for the sake of everyone's eyes. I always hate formatting the fic to make it aesthetically pleasing... it never looks pleasing to me. Ah well, such are the limitations to .... it's so standardized.

Anyways, I really wanted to use this part of the chapter to explore character dynamics and relationships... I might have gotten carried away and made them a little OOC'ed - one of my past fallacies.

1) I especially wanted to discover the dynamic between Gin (Hope) and Snow. Note: Hope's name was released only a few days ago and...well... seriously... HOPE???? It's a good thing I like his character so much. If i didn't, this fic wouldn't be treating him nicely...

2) Marcellus and Noctis' conversation was fun to write! It's also fun to write Noctis' weaker, more vulnerable side as opposed to his cool persona - to me it makes him seem more real and tangible.

3) Thank you everyone who reviewed! **SunflowerWielder, IWOBYD, Phoenixcorpse, Yuki, MidnightReader1, Priscy-Lockhart, Vani, Fefisgbf13, and Tsuki Rae** - Thanks so much for your support!

Finals are coming up for me, but I'll try very hard to find time to write and update. *bows* thank you everyone for reading and your support! Feel free to comment!


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